10/30/2024
by Victoria Ritter
As a father and someone with many years of experience in the manufacturing field, Dan Schwarz appreciates the importance of safe, reliable school furniture. As the chief operating officer and new owner of Jonti-Craft, he now has the privilege of producing fixtures upon which schools can depend.
Jonti-Craft, based out of Wabasso, Minnesota, specializes in early education furniture. In its 45-year history, it has produced close to 10,000 products, Schwarz estimates; currently, it has 3,500 active SKUs. Offerings range from lockers and sensory tables to chairs and tables. However, the bread and butter of the company is its storage units, the most popular of which are components with five or six cubbies.
“We do have an internal R&D and engineering team,” Schwarz said. “We work really hard on our product development and continue to innovate new items.”
The company typically launches new products on an annual basis in the autumn, just in time for trade shows. This year, Jonti-Craft will be exhibiting at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference in Anaheim and EDspaces in Houston – both of which are in November.
Upcoming releases include cots for early elementary grades and STEM tables and storage units for higher education. The company’s most recent venture is in the realm of outdoor play through its EverPlay line. A mud kitchen, table and benches will be on display at the tradeshows. “The classroom is really everywhere,” Schwarz stated. “More people are doing things outside.”
For EverPlay, Jonti-Craft partnered with a manufacturer in Minnesota that transforms recycled milk jugs into furniture. The pieces don’t overheat in the sun, don’t require any refinishing, don’t fade or crack and can last for at least 15 years. “Most wooden products out there need to be sanded and refinished on an annual basis,” Schwarz explained. “But this can stay out all year long, whether it’s in the desert or in the cold tundra of Minnesota.”
Keeping it in the family
Schwarz is the second generation to own Jonti-Craft. His parents, Cathy and Don, purchased the business from John Tesarri in 1979. Don had worked for Tesarri as a college intern and voiced an interest in buying the business. “A few years later, after my parents were out of school and had some kids, John called them and they worked out a deal,” Schwarz said.
About a year after Cathy and Don took ownership of Jonti-Craft, a fire completely destroyed the offices; Schwarz was 5 years old. The couple decided it was a good time to relocate operations to their hometown of Wabasso.
With a new 12,000-square-foot building and a small employee base, the Schwarzes built up Jonti-Craft to what it is today. Now it employs around 200 employees, with a few high school and college students interning during the summer. “We have some of the most dedicated and passionate people,” Schwarz said, voicing his deep appreciation for the Jonti-Craft team. “They all share the vision of inspiring the next generation of children with some really cool learning furniture.”
Cathy and Don stepped down in January, passing ownership to Schwarz and his wife, Katie. “Don and Cathy continue to be on the board and are on staff as advisors,” Schwarz said. “We’re trying not to disrupt their retirement too much, but it’s nice to have their experience and knowledge available if we have questions.”
Dedication to safety and durability
The Jonti-Craft team considers multiple factors when it comes to designing and building its furniture. “Every time we’re designing a product, we focus on safety. We look to see if there’s a need in the classroom and how that product will play a role in education or play for a child,” Schwarz commented. “We’re also looking for durability. All of our products are designed to last as long as the space they’ll be in; our Baltic birch line comes with a lifetime guarantee. It’s been really fun seeing pictures of products that have been in service for 30-plus years and customers say, ‘It still looks as good as the day we bought it.’”
Jonti-Craft utilizes Baltic birch plywood to construct its furniture. Schwarz values how the wood’s warm, neutral tone can fit into different environments. The wood’s durable nature is enhanced by designing wider units – thus offering more stability – dowel pin construction and the application of a proprietary UV finish that is scratch-resistant and ideal for commercial and education markets. The finish is “as durable as a gym floor,” according to Schwarz.
“We’ve spent a lot of time and resources on validating that our product is the strongest out there and the most durable and really specialized for the education space,” Schwarz added.
For mobile units, Jonti-Craft uses custom-sourced castors that connect to the bottom and sides of the piece. “We know that these are going to be pushed up and down the hall and run into things,” Schwarz said. “We want to make sure they’re able to last a lifetime.”
Jonti-Craft’s commitment to producing durable furniture is matched by its devotion to safety. Every piece of furniture has rounded edges which lower the chance of injury if bumped. Full-length piano hinges help prevent fingers getting caught in doors. Kickplates on storage units further prevent fingers and toes getting caught as well as minimize the opportunities of toys and other materials being lost between drawers.
“We understand the demands of education,” Shwarz stated. “Furniture has to be durable because a lot of the schools get one-time funds, and they want to buy something that’s going to last the length of the school. We really focus on being the safest and most durable solutions for learning, play and imagination.”
